Lifting mechanism



1939. J. J. MIZER 2,168,489

LIFTING MECHANISM Filed March 27, 1959 E 3 J2 1/3952? R A TTORNE y.s.'

Patented Aug. 8, 1939 RHSSUED OCT 14 1941 UNITED su tes ur'rnvc MECHANISM Joseph J. Mizer, Racine, Wis., assignor to Walker Manufacturing Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 27, 1939; Serial No. 264,355

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to lifting mechanisms, and in the particular embodiment herein disclosed, provides an improved lifting mechanism particularly adapted for use in connection with 5 automobiles.

It will be understood that the lifting or jack mechanisms conventionally supplied at the present time as part of the equipment of automobiles, for use in making tire or wheel changes, are of two general types; namely, those adapted to be applied to an unsprung part of the vehicle, such as an axle or spring pad, and those which are adapted to be applied to a sprung part of the vehicle, such as the bumper. The former type is advantageous from the standpoint that, being applied to an unsprung part of the vehicle, the jack or lifting device is required to be elevated only to the extent that it is desired to elevate the wheel, but is disadvantageous in connection with present day automobile designs, because of the increasing use of body designs which overhang the front and rear axle structures to a substantial extent, and so make it extremely diflicult not only to spot the jack under the unsprung part but also to elevate it after it has been so located. The latter general type will be recognized as being advantageous from the standpoint that the jack may readily be applied to a bumper or other exposed part of the vehicle, but this type is particularly so disadvantageous from the standpoint that an exceedingly large elevating movement of the jack is required to produce the relatively small required lifting movement of the wheel, since the lifting movement of the wheel does not begin until the vehicle spring structure has become relaxed.

There is, therefore, a growing demand in the automotive industry for a lifting or jack mechanism which overcomes the. above objectionable features of the present jack structures, while at 40 the same time retaining the advantageous features thereof. With these considerations in view, the present invention provides what may be called a two-part jack mechanism, one partbeing adapted to be applied to an exposed unsprung part of the vehicle and the other part being a retaining orholding member adapted-to be positioned below another unsprung part of the vehicle so as to retain the wheel in elevated position.

Further objects of the present invention are to 50 provide a lifting mechanism of the above indicated character, embodying a lifting member adapted to be applied-to the felloe, rim, or like projecting part of a wheel 'so as to elevate the same, and embodying a supporting column or 55 other member adapted to be seated beneath another unsprung part of the vehicle to retain the same in elevated position, so as to enable the lifting member to be removed, after which the wheel may be replaced; and to in general provide a jack mechanism which may be economically man- 5 ufactured, which requires little storage space, and which in use, is extremely simple and effective.

With the above as well as other objects in view, which appear in the following description and in the appended claims, a preferred but illustrative 10 embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, throughout the several views of which corresponding reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts, and in which: 15

Figure 1 is a view showing one embodiment of the invention as applied to a rear vehicle wheel;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding generally to Fig. 1, showing the lifting member removed, so as to permit removal of the tire; 20

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the preferred construction of the lifting member;

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig; 3, but in side elevation;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a preferred construction of holding member; and

Fig. 6 is a view taken along the line. 66 of Fig. l.

In its' present embodiment, the lifting mechanism comprises generally a lifting member ID and a holding member l2. Except in the respects which particularly adapt it to its present use, the lifting member ID may be of generally conventional construction, and is herein illustrated as comprising an enlarged base l4, adapted to rest upon the ground or other supporting surface, a 1 housing portion [6, and a lifting column l8 of the ratchet type. It will be appreciated that mechanism responsive to movement of the handle 2t! maybe disposed within the housing l6, so that successive up and down movements of the handle 20 ay be caused to either raise or lower the dift ng column l8.

As previously mentioned, it is proposed, in ac- 'cordance with the present invention, to effect the "lacking or lifting operation by first applying the lifting member In to a readily accessible unsprung part of the vehicle and more specifically it is proposed to apply the head of the lifting column l8 to a part of the wheel 22 associated with the vehicle 24. In accordance with presentday practice, wheel constructions generally comprise a hub structure, a felloe and an outer rim, the felloe and hub structures being connected together by means of a web which may or may not be provided with cut-outs to define spokelike elements. In these constructions, the felloe or the rim or both extend laterally outwardly from the web portion, thus providing a relatively substantial shoulder. In the present instance, it is preferred to apply the head of the lifting column I8 directly to the shoulder thus provided, and this relation is shown in Fig. 1, in which the head 26 is. seated against a shoulder 28 constituted by the laterally outwardly projecting rim. To adapt it for this purpose, the head 26 of the lifting column I8 is formed to have an upwardly projecting nose 30 which may, as illustrated, be

. provided with a protective sheath 32 of rubber or the like, so that the application thereof to the wheel structure does not mar or deface the latter.

It will be noted that base I4 and housing I6 of the lifting member III are so connected together that the housing I6 and column I8 extend upwardly from the base I4 at an angle. This relationship enables the base I4 to be positioned in freely spaced relation to the lower portion of the tire while at the same time enabling the head of the column I8 to be placed in operative relation to the upper portion of the wheel structure as described above.

The holding member I2 is herein illustrated as being formed as a column of fixed length, having an enlarged base 34, and a correspondingly enlarged head 36. It will be appreciated that the length of the holding member I2 is such that when it is placed beneath an associated unsprung part of the vehicle, it holds such part at a sufilcient elevation to enable the associated tire 22 to be freely removed and replaced. In the present instance, it is preferred to seat this holding member I2 directly beneath the spring shackle 38, in the relation shown in both Figures 1 and 2 in connection with a rear axle structure. It will be understood that, in applying the invention to vehicles having Independent wheel suspensions, the member I2 is seated beneath an unsprung part of the suspension for the corre-' sponding wheel. a

In order to facilitate the locating of the holding member. I2 beneath the associated part of the vehicle, it is preferred to provide the handle 40, the shank 42 whereof is adapted to pass through openings 43 and 44 provided therefor in the wall of the column portion of the member I2. In view of. the degree to which present day body structures overhang the unsprung parts of the vehicle, it is frequently adiflicult to readily see the unsprung part beneath which the member I2 is to be seated. To overcome this diiiiculty, a feature of the present invention resides in oil'- setting the handle 40 so as to define a gauge portion 45, which lies between the column-engaging shank 42 and the handle portion 46. The handle portion 46 of course terminates in a convenient grip 48. The proportioning of the handle is such that when the holding member I2 is seated beneath the associated unsprung part of the vehicle, the gauge portion 45 extends in vertical abutting relation to the inner wall of the tire,

and the handle portion 46 extends outwardly from under the tire at approximately the center of the wheel. In order to form a connection between the handle 40 and the holding member I2 by virtue of which the latter may be moved both forwardly and rearwardly of the vehicle and also transversely of the vehicle by means of the handle, it is preferred to provide the handle with a shoulder 50 which abuts one wall of the column and, if. desired, one or more nuts such as 62 may be removably provided on the extreme end of the handle. Also, it is preferred to provide the handle with a pin 54 which projects into an opening 56 in one wall of the column. It will be understood that when the pin 54 is withdrawn from the opening 56, the-handle 40 may be freely rotated relative to the holding member I2, but that when the pin 54 is seated in the opening 56, such rotation is prevented.

Considering now the preferred manner of utilizing the above described mechanism, it will be appreciated that the initial step in lifting the vehicle wheel, so as to permit replacement of the tire associated therewith, the head 26 of the lifting member ID may be positioned beneath its associated rim portion 28 and a lifting force applied to the column I8, so as to lift the wheel above the ground to a degree somewhat in excess of that required to permit ready removal and replacement of the tire. With the wheel thus elevated, the holding member I2 may be slid underneath the car to a. position in which the enlarged head 36 thereof is in registry with the corresponding part of the axle structure, shown herein as the spring shackle 38. It will be understood that the holding member l2 may be conveniently positioned beneath the cooperating unsprung part by grasping the grip portion 48, with the gauge portion 46 vertical and with the pin 54 in the opening 56, and thereafter moving the column I2 forwardly, by means of the handle, until such a time as the handle'48 projects upwardly from under the tire at approximately the center thereof. The handle may finally be moved transversely so as to bring the gauge portion 46 into abutting relation to the wall of the tire. Due to the enlarged size of the head 36, some little latitude is permissible, so as to allow for variations in the accuracy with which the gauge portion 46 is positioned. With the holding member I2 thus positioned, the lifting column I8 may be lowered, so as to release the lifting member ID, after which, as shown in Figure 2, the tire may readily be removed and replaced. Following the replacement of the tire 22, the holding member I2 may be removed by rocking the vehicle 24 off of it, or by again raising the wheel by means of the lifting member I I) so as to permit easy withdrawal of the holding member I2.

While only one specific embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it will be appreciated that various changes in the form, num ber, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

'What is claimed is:

1. In a wheel lifting mechanism for association with an unsprung part of a vehicle having a body portion which overhangs said unsprung part, said unsprung part being positioned inwardly of the vehicle from the wheel, a column adapted to be seated beneath said unsprung part, and handle mechanism operable to position said column beneath said unsprung part, said handle mechanism being formed so as to extend underneath the wheel from a position outwardly of the wheel to said column, and said handle mechanism having an offset part spaced from the column in such relation that when the column is properly positioned beneath the unsprung part, the offset portion substantially abuts a side wall of a tire associated with the wheel.

2. A lifting device for a vehicle wheel, said wheel having an outwardly projecting part, comprising a base adapted to rest upon a supporting surface, a substantially linear column carried by the base and extending inclinedly upwardly therefrom at a fixed angle thereto, a head carried by the column at the top of the column, said head having an upwardly directed nose-like part immediately adjacent the axis of the column but oflset therefrom on the side toward which the column is inclined and formed to hook beneath said projecting part, the inclination of said column being just sum'cient so that when said base is positioned immediately adjacent the base of a tire associated with said wheel with the inclination toward the wheel said inclination brings said wheel engaging nose like part under and in lifting relation to said projecting part of the wheel, and means operating between said base and column for raising said head and column along the axis of the column so as to lift said wheel.

JOSEPH J. MIZER. 

